You Were Right
by Smack77
Summary: Anakin's thoughts during his final moments with Luke and his reunion with Obi-Wan in the afterlife.
1. Chapter 1

Pain. Horrible, excruciating physical pain screamed from every nerve ending in what was left of his broken body but it was nothing compared to the emotions he was experiencing. When Anakin had first broken through the suffocating darkness and taken control of himself again, he had been completely focussed on saving his son. Now, as Luke dragged him through the maze of hallways on their way towards his personal shuttle, the guilt and remorse for what he had done over the last 20 years began to overwhelm him. If he had been capable of producing tears they would have flowed freely down his scared face.

Luke had been right. The moment he found out he had a son, something inside Darth Vader had begun to shift. Cracks had started to form in the mantle of darkness that had surrounded him for so long and light beamed through. Things he hadn't dared dream of in years began to grow in his heart again. Vader had tried in vain to contain them, to push them back down inside himself and lock them away but the moment Palpatine began torturing Luke with Force lightning Anakin had burst forth from within and Darth Vader ceased to exist.

As they approached the shuttle, the damaged cybernetics in his legs finally gave out and he collapsed unable to go one step further. Even so, he kept moving. He faintly realized Luke was dragging him and watched helplessly as his son, his beautiful, strong, and compassionate son strained every muscle trying to pull him up the boarding ramp. Padme would be so proud of him! Oh, Padme! A wave of agony seized him at the thought of what he had done to her. To Luke. To himself. To them all. This had to stop. Precious minutes was slipping away and it was only a matter of time before this station was destroyed. He couldn't be the reason Luke was still aboard.

The respirator in Vader's suit wheezed dangerously. It was getting harder and harder to breath and now that Anakin was truly in command of himself again, there was only one thing he wanted. He wanted to see his son. Really see him in living color instead of the sterile shades of grey that had been his world for so long.

"Luke, help me take this mask off."

"But you'll die." Luke's eyebrows drew together.

"Nothing can stop that now. Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes." he pleaded.

Luke nodded slightly and reached forward. He lifted the outer helmet off with care and then released the catch at the back of the face mask and gently peeled it off. The cool air of the hanger was a welcome relief on Anakin's feverish skin and as Luke came into focus he gazed at him with wonder. Blond hair gleamed brightly against his tanned skin and blue eyes so like his own stared back at him. He had expected Luke to be disgusted by his scarred features, but he merely smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

For the first time since his fall Anakin felt the unmistakeable warmth of love from another human being flowing through the Force. He immediately sent it back with all of his heart. Oh, how he wished he could have been there for his son all of these years! The sorrow he felt at what he had done to his family choked him. And yet, in spite of it all his son loved him. How Luke could feel that way about someone who had done such monstrous deeds was beyond his powers of comprehension. It occurred to him as he lay there, that this boy, this extraordinary child was the one thing he had done right. It was some comfort after all he had done to know that he would leave something in the galaxy that he could be proud of.

The lack of oxygen was beginning to make black spots appear in his vision. He didn't have long.

"Now, go my son. Leave me."

Luke shook his head. "No, you're coming with me. I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you!"

"You already have, Luke. You were right. You were right about me." The edges of his vision began to swim. "Tell your sister… you were right." He smiled as much as his scaring would allow, and, as the last of his strength failed, he took one last look at Luke before closing his eyes .

"I won't leave you." was the last thing he heard and then, nothing.

 ***Happy New Year! I started out tonight trying to write something completely different, and this is what ended up coming out instead. Not sure if I'll continue it or not, but it was a diverting way to spend New Year's Eve. Hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think. I reply to all reviews and I welcome any constructive criticism you care to share. Thank you!**

 ***As always, all Star Wars characters are property of Disney and George Lucas. I wrote this for fun and nothing more.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Anakin awoke with a gasp and wondered where he was. The last thing he remembered was being with Luke as his life support failed and then, nothing. Oh, Luke! He hoped he had escaped in time.

So this is what it's like to be dead he thought sadly as he looked around. He was lying on his back in a dimly lit void. The pain from his numerous injuries still took his breath away and the heavy bulk of his useless life support suit tormented his severed limbs. Thick mist filled the air. There was nothing else to see so he tried for a moment to reach out with the Force, but could sense nothing. It was very disconcerting.

"Hello?" He called out. "Is anybody there?" Stoney silence was his only reply. He willed himself not to panic as a terrible sense of dread washed over him. Whatever this place was, no matter what horrors awaited him in the swirling fog, it was nothing less than he deserved for the life he had lived. For the first time he was glad his mother hadn't lived to see the monster he had become.

One by one the terrible things he had done ran through his mind. In memory he experienced again Mace Windu's screams as he tumbled out the window of Palpatine's office, the look of betrayal on Madame Jocasta Nu's face when he ran her through with his lightsaber, the terrified screams of the younglings in the Temple as he cut them down without mercy.

Agonizing as it was, he forced himself to relive every despicable thing Vader had ever done until he was physically sick with grief and regret. Finally there were only two people left to remember. The two people he had cared about most in the galaxy.

He closed his eyes and saw Obi-Wan again standing above him after the horrific battle on Mustafar. "You were my brother Anakin! I loved you." he had cried in anguish. At the time all Anakin had felt was hate at those words, but looking back Obi-Wan was the closest and most loyal friend Anakin had ever had. Even after he fell to the dark side Obi-Wan selflessly watched over Luke on Tatooine because Anakin wasn't there to do it himself. A brother by blood couldn't have done anything more.

Last and most painful of all were the memories of his angel Padme. She had tried to stop him from continuing down the destructive path he had chosen and convince him to come away with her. If only he had listened! In his minds eye he saw her again, her small hand resting protectively on the swell of her belly, pleading with him to leave everything behind and come with her. He would give anything in the galaxy to stop what had happened next.

"Stop! Stop now. Come back! I love you!" she had said just before he saw Obi-Wan coming down the ramp and anger had overwhelmed him. Anger that she had betrayed him. That she and Obi-Wan had gone behind his back and…he visibly cringed. Looking back now even the suggestion that there had been anything more than friendship between them was too preposterous to believe. But he had believed it, and had choked his beautiful wife almost to death in response.

Once years ago he had heard that the eyes were the windows to the soul. At the time he had been a child and written the idea off as sentimental romantic nonsense, but after he met Padme, he realized it was true. All he had to do was look into her soft brown eyes to find the warmth of her love for him shining there. The last time he had seen them, they brimmed with terror as she clutched at her throat, desperate for air.

This last memory was his undoing. "I'm sorry!" he cried bitterly. Even though no one was listening he needed to say it anyway. "I'm so very sorry!" he sobbed brokenly crying because there was nothing he could do to ever make amends for his wrongs.

Finally, after an extraordinarily long time, an empty calmness began to settle over him. There was something wet on his face and without thinking, he reached up to wipe it away. Tears. He was crying actual tears! Then he realized that the fingers he had wiped them away with were made of flesh. He gasped and held both hands before his face to look at them. As he did so, he suddenly realized that he was no longer wearing the life support suit. He leap up and experimentally bounced from one foot to the other. His body what whole again!

There was no time to wonder at these developments. A large circle of light suddenly appeared a few yards away from him. It glowed, growing steadily larger and brighter as the fog around him began to swirl and disappear and an irresistible urge to move pushed him forward. Fear gripped him. There was no telling what might be on the other side, but he reminded himself that he had brought it completely on himself. He deserved whatever punishment the Force would give him and more for the life he had led, and he would accept it willingly. It was all he could do now. He closed his eyes and silently made peace with what was to come and then Anakin Skywalker squared his shoulders, stilled the quaking of his heart, and walked purposefully into the light.


	3. Chapter 3

The light was blinding and seemed to go on forever. All Anakin could do was walk forward until finally he approached what appeared the be a portal of some kind. It looked dark in comparison to the dazzling white light that currently surrounded him and he stopped. The possibilities of what might be on the other side whirled through his imagination each one more terrifying than the last. He hesitated as long as he could until the urge to move forward became unbearable and he carefully stepped through the portal.

What he found when his eyes adjusted to the new surroundings was not at all what he had expected. He was in a wide green meadow. Tall grass studded with wild flowers waved around his knees and a crystal clear stream lazily wound its way across the landscape. After more than 20 years encased in his life support suit, his senses were overwhelmed by the riot of information to take in. Sunshine warmed his face and hands and the scent of the grass and flowers was sweet. Everything was in living color! A cool, refreshing breeze caressed his skin and ruffled his hair. Anakin reached up and patted his head in astonishment. He had hair!

For years pain had been such a constant companion that he hardly noticed it anymore. Even when he floated submerged in his personal bacta tank, the scaring on his skin had pulled and twisted uncomfortably as the liquid bubbled around him. Now he could move freely and nothing hurt. What a revelation!

How was this possible Anakin wondered as he wiggled his new fingers before his face. He couldn't get over how real this all felt. For a moment he considered that it all might be a dream. A very intense dream, but a dream none the less. Maybe he was about to wake up in his meditation chamber on the Executor only to find that he was still Darth Vader and Luke had died along with his mother all those years ago. Was it all part of his punishment? Was all this about to be ripped away again?

A familiar chuckle roused him from his thoughts. "I can assure you this isn't a dream."

Anakin gasped and turned towards the sound. He'd know that voice anywhere. "Obi-Wan!"

There was his old master and friend looking the same as he had the day he'd set off after General Grievous. His auburn hair reflected the sun and a warm smile lit his face.

"I see you finally arrived. It's about time, you know. I've been waiting for you!"

Anakin was so overjoyed to see his old friend again that he leapt forward only to stop himself. Uncertainty held him back. What must Obi-Wan think of him after everything he had done? He suddenly recalled the last conversation they had before he turned to the dark side. He remembered well the words Obi-Wan had said that day as he prepared to leave for Utapau. "You are strong and wise Anakin, and I am very proud of you…You have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be." Those words had meant the galaxy to him at the time, but only a few hours later he had turned his back on everything the Jedi stood for and pledged his loyalty to Sidious.

"Oh, Obi-Wan." he said his voice thick with emotion. "I'm so ashamed of myself. You were the best master and friend anyone could have and I…I…." Any apology he could offer seemed hollow indeed. "I'm sorry." He choked looking at the ground. "I'm so, so sorry."

Obi-Wan placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "I know you are, my friend. Release your feelings into the Force and be at peace. Forgive yourself Anakin because I certainly have."

Anakin looked up with a start. He hadn't been expecting that. "You have?"

"Of course I have!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. Anakin's mouth hung open in surprise for a moment before his former Master explained. "What happened was the will of the Force. I know it's difficult to understand, but things were destined to happen as they did. The Jedi had lost their way and things would only have gotten worse had they continued on the same path. Now they have a chance to start over again. Luke will see to that. I have great faith in that boy. He's quite a remarkable young man, your son."

Anakin's heart surged with pride. Luke was remarkable, a brilliant ray of sunshine piercing the darkness and it suddenly occurred to him that he had Obi-Wan to thank for that. Hiding Luke had been Obi-Wan's final and greatest gift to Anakin. If Darth Vader had found out about Luke sooner things would have turned out much differently. There was no doubt in his mind that he would have corrupted his son into something horribly twisted and evil. The thought made him ill.

While they talked, they had wandered towards the edge of the stream. Anakin gazed down at the water gurgling merrily over the rocks for a few moments before turning to his friend. "I want to thank you for watching over Luke, Obi-Wan." he said with every ounce of sincerity that he could express. "You saved him from me and I can't thank you enough for that."

A look of surprise crosse Obi-Wan's features and the he smiled kindly. "It was truly my pleasure Anakin."

"Tell me about him. What was he like as a child?"

They stood for some time tossing stones into the stream while Obi-Wan answered all Anakin's questions about Luke and everything that had happened during the time he had lived on Tatooine. After a while, they continued their walk through the meadow.

"So where exactly are we?" Anakin asked as he looked around again at the beauty surrounding them. It reminded him very much of a place he'd visited once with Padme on Naboo.

"This is the Netherworld of the Force." Obi-Wan said as he gestured to their surroundings. He smiled at Anakin's look of amazement. "Yes, I know. It's nothing like what they described in the temple, is it?"

Anakin shook his head. For some reason he had always pictured the Netherworld of the Force to be a giant void where you meditated in solitude while floating in space. He had vague remembrances of a class discussion from long ago about what to expect in the hereafter, but at the time he had tuned out.

"I think you'll find that it's not at all unpleasant once you get used to it."

Anakin pondered this for a moment. The last thing he had expected from the Force was forgiveness. Could it really be this easy?

"I can sense that you have many more questions, and I promise that we will find the answers together but put them aside for today. There's someone here who is very anxious to see you.

While they talked, they had crossed the wide meadow and now stood beside a small grove of trees. Obi-Wan pointed into the woods and smiled. "You'll find the person you're looking for in there." With that, he turned to leave and Anakin wondered at who could possibly want to see him again.

He curiously reached out with his senses and immediately his heart leapt with joy. It was her! In an instant he was running through the trees searching desperately for the presence that called to him until he found Padme standing under the largest tree. She turned and a radiant smile lit her beautiful face as they fell into each others arms.

"My Ani!" she said as she held him tightly. "I told them there was good in you still."

THE END

 **Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed! I really appreciated the feedback. Have a great weekend and May The Force Be With You! (As always, all Star Wars characters belong to Disney and George Lucas. This was written for fun and nothing more.)**


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